Loading device



March 1 1927.

1,619,610 E. F. L. FRITZ LOADING DEVICE Filed Sept. 50.' 1922 4 Shuts-Sheet 1 March 1 1927.

1,619,610 E. F. L. FRITZ LOADING DEVICE Filed Sept. 30. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 March 1 1927. 1,619,610

E. F. L. FRITZ LOADING DEVICE Filed Sept. 30. 1922 4 She ets-Sheet 4 "@5700 5.565. V I 71/ we 71 1191;

525.5; E F L azkziflz'i 25$ flttrmiq.

Patented Mar. 1, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOADING DEVICE.

Application filed September 30, 1922 Serial No. 591,625.

My invention relates to novel improvements in loading devices, and has for its principal object the provision of an 1mp roved construction of th1s character which will be highly eflicient in use andeconomical in manufacture.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a conveyor capable of belng adjusted vertically, one which can be raised or lowered to meet the required height of a hay wagon, or the like in which matter carried by the conveyor is discharged.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional detail View of a loading device, embodying the invention; 7

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional detail view of the discharge end of the conyeyor embodied in the invention;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view, of the same;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional detail view of one of the lock members embodied in the invention;

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view of one of the hay gathering fingers embodied in the invention;

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail view taken substantially on line 7-7 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a sectional detail view taken substantially on line 88 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 represents a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 9-9 of F lg. 7; and

Fig. 10 represents a cross sectional view through the machine taken approximately on the line 101O of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, 10 indicates an angular frame carried by wheel bearing axle 11 journalled through suitable bearings 12 and fixed thereto by pins 11. Carried by frame 10 are suitable bearings 13 through which shaft 14 is journalled, said shaft 14 being provided with sockets 15 for the reception of the upper end portions 16 of rake members A which are held secured to the shaft 14 within the sockets 15 through the medium of suitable set screws 17.

Each of the rake members A are formed, in the present instance, in two parts, the lower part being indicated at 18 and provided with a socket 19 for the reception of the end portionof the. upper part 16 of each of the rake members, the said parts of each of said rake members being rigidly held together through the medium of a set screw 20 as shown in Fig. 4. By this arrangement should either part of any one of the rake members become damaged, the damaged part can be readily detached and a new part substituted therefor.

In the present instance the rake members A are capable of being adjusted relatively with respect to the matter or ground over which they pass and this is accomplished through the medium of adjusting levers 21 carried at the opposite ends of the shaft 14 and provided with lock mechanism 22 arranged and adapted to enga e ratch segments 23 as illustrated in Fig. 1. l3y this construction it will be obvious that by movement of the levers 21 the rake members can be raised or lowered-into or out of engagement with the ground or matter to be gathered and that the rake members can be raised sufficiently far enough above the ground to an inoperative positionwhen the loader is not in use.

As matter is gathered by the rake members it is received by a continuous conveyor 24, formed of flexible material, such as canvas or the like, and passing over rollers or drums 25 and 26. The conveyor in this instance is provided on its roller engaging surfaces with narrow equally spaced apart metal strips or wear plates 27 extending longitudinally with respect to the conveyor, the purpose of which is to prevent undue wear on the conveyor; rollers 27 being provided to prevent sagging of the conveyor.

The rollers 25 and 26 are mounted on shafts 28 and 29, the shaft 28 being supported by depending arms 30 carried by the frame 10. The shaft 28 carries inclined side rails 31 preferably, for sake of lightness,

formed of wood, and which carry at their upper ends the shaft 29 carrying roller or drum 26, the side rails being free to pivot on the shaft 28 for the purposes to be hereinafter stated.

As alluded to, one of the objects of the illvention is to provide means for adjusting the conveyor to meet the required height of a hay Wagon, or the like, in which'matter is to be deposited and to accomplish this object I support the shaft 29 for turning movement in an angular U-shaped support 32 carrying i oppositely disposed pivotally mounted rack plates 33 adapted for engagement withgears 34 carried on shaft 35, as best shown in Fig. '7.

Therackplates 33 are heldin engagement with the gears 34 through the medium of U: shaped collars 36 carried on shaft as clearly shown in Figs. 7 and 8. The shaft 35 is journaled in suitable bearings 37 carried by frame 10 and is operated through the mediunnof a hand crank 38 mounted on eachof theopposite ends of the shaft 35. The shaft 35 carries ratch wheels 39 adapted for engagement with pawls etO carried by frame 10, saidpawls being preferably double. acting spring cont-rolled. pawls which are well knownin the art. The purpose of the pawls 40 is to lock the conveyor in its desired adjustableposition. It, will be obvious from the description that I provide anovel and durable arrangement for raising or lowering the discharge end of the conveyor. The side rails 31 being loosely mounted on the shaft 28 permit the vertical pivotal movement of the conveyor.

The conveyor 24 is operated by movement ofthe wheels 41 carrying frame 10 and whicharecarried by axle 11; the operative movement of the conveyor being accomplished through the. medium of gears 42 meshing with gears 43carried by the wheels 41 and shaft 28 respectively. The shafts 28 and 29 carry sprocket gears at over which sprocket chains tfijpass. By this arrangement motive power is, supplied to the conveyor when the device is in motion.

The, conveyor 2a carries equally spaced transverse slats l6 each of" which carry equally spaced apart fingers 47 as best shown in Fig. 1, said fingers each having their fixed ends provided with a screw threaded stud 4L8 bymeans of which the finger is removably fixed to the slats so. By this arrangementshouldany one ofthe fingers become damaged, I am able to remove the damaged finger and substitute a new one therefor, the purpose of the fingers being to force the mattergathered by the rake members onto the conveyor 24.

Figs. 2 and 3 illustrate fragmentary views of the mechanism for .IBHIOVlHg the'mat-ter received by the conveyor. This mechanism comprises a shaft 19 carried by side rails 31 and carrying equally spaced apart removable fingers 50 adapted to pass between the fingers 47 in order to remove matter from the conveyor. The shaft 49 carries a gear 51 meshing with an idle gear 52 which in turn meshes with a gear 53 carried by shaft 29, this arrangement being such that the shaft l9'will rotate in opposite direction of the shaft 29. V V

The side rails 31 carry a plurality of removable equally spaced apart Z-shaped brackets 53 mountedin sockets 54 carried by the side rails 31. The Z-shaped brackets 53' carry canvas or metal strips 55, the purposes of which are to prevent the wind from blowing matter oil of the conveyor during its travel thereon.

As shown in Fig.1 the frame 10 is provided. with means for attaching the loading device ,to a hay wagon, or the like, said means being in this instance indicated at 56 and may be of any approved construction or type.

WVhen the loading deviceis not'in. use, I provideatthe front end of the frame 10 adjacent the opposite sidesthereof adjustable props 57 whichare held in the desired adjusted position through the medium of bolts 58 adapted to work in elongated. slots 59 formed in the ground engaging end portions of the props.

By the provisions of thenovel improvements of the invention as herein set forth, it will be obvious that my loading device will proveto be of great value in theagriculture art and can be economically manufactured as well as efficiently operatedl While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for car.- rying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without .de parting from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not w1sh to be limited to-the precise details of construction set forth, but

desire to avail myself of such variations and modificationsas come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters 1 Patent, is

1. In a rake and loader, an elevating device comprising a conveyor; a driving shaft supporting one end of the conveyor and arranged to afiord a pivot during the elevating and lowering movements thereof; a Ushaped end frame, on the legs of which the opposite end of the conveyor is pivotally mounted for its support; rack plates depending from the connecting bar of said U- shaped frame; and adjustingshaft having teeth with which the rack plates are engaged for supportand adjustment; and means for locking the adjusting shaft in adjusted posit-ion, substantially as described.

In a rake and loader, atrailer f'anie having support on travel wheels a driving shaft operatively supported on'said frame; side rails pivoted. at their lower ends on said driving shaftandpivotally carrying a top shaft at their. upper ends; an endless conveyor operatively arranged upon the driving shaft and top shaft; a U-shaped end frame, on and between the legs of which the top shaft is operatively mounted; rack plates depending from the connecting bar of the U-shaped frame; an adjusting shaft operatively mounted on the trailer frame and equipped with teeth with Which the rack plates are engaged for support and adjustment; means for operating the adjusting shaft; and means for locking the adjusting shaft in adjusted position, substantiaily as described.

3. In a rake and loader, an elevating device comprising a conveyor having one end affording a pivot during elevating and lowering movements thereof, a U-shaped support pivotally carried at the other end of the conveyor, toothed bars pivotally depending from said U-shap-ed support, a shaft carrying toothed members for meshing with said toothed bars, and means for locking said shaft in adjusted position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

E. F. LEWIS FRITZ. 

